Antifreezing apparatus



Dec. 1931- v. MERRITT ANTIFREEZING APPARATUS Filed May 2'7, 1950 ATTORNEY ,1:iin!5595255:142135551 INVENTORY Vernon Mei WIT N ESS ES yww Patented Dec. 1, 1931 VERNON MERRITT, or MONTGOMERY, ALABA A ANTIFREEZiNG urana'rus Application filed May 27, 1930. Serial No. 456,096. I

My invention relates to anti-freezing apparati and an object of the same is to provide a mechanism whereby a valve will be automatically closed to prevent the passage of water or other liquid through a pipe line upon the Water reaching a freezing temperature.

A further-object of the invention is to provide an automatically operated valve which 0 embodies a longitudinally movable plunger which is operated to close the valve incident to formation of ice in a receptacle together with means :for melting the ice in' such receptacle to permit the plunger to return to normal position and thereby open the valve.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this character embodying an electrical heating unit for melting the ice in the receptacle and a switch for controlling'a circuit through thehea'ting'unit which is automatically closed to complete the circuit after the valve actuating plunger has been moved in a direction to open the valve.

Vith the preceding and other objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists in the novel combination of elements, constructions and arrangements of parts and operations to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying 0 drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my inven- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sametaken on line 22 of F i 1.

partition 6 is arranged. The partition 6divides the receptacle into an upper compartment 7 and a lower compartment 8, the latter having a drain valve 9a.

In order to obviate the bursting of the reits upper" end so that'liquid fromthe conikpartment '7 Will pass into the compartment 8 and keep the same'always fulL; Due to the shape of the bore-13ice will first form there- 'lower to the upper compartment. In this connection it is pointed out that the lower compartment must; always "beffilledwith requisite distance when the liquid freezes.

7 of such height as to extend abovethe normal r ceptacle 5 is provided in which horizontal in longitudinal alinement'with the plug 15 ceptacle when expansion occurs therein the side walls of the compartment? are arranged in divergent relation as indicated at 9. The

upper wall of the receptacle is provided with a filling op'eninglO which is normally closed "5' bya removable cap'll. Adr'ain cock7a is provided for the upper compartment so that the liquid can be kept at a predetermined level. Communication "between the com partments 7 and 8is established by way of a rectangular conduit v12 having one end arranged flush with the upper face of'the partition The conduit f12'is providedwith a tapered bore 13' which] decreases towards in and-prevent any'liquid passing from'the liquid in" order that suflic ient expansion take place therein to cause, the rod 19 to move the Thus any leakage from thelower compartment will be compensated for by the liquid in the upper compartment passing therein as above stated. In order to 'permitair to pass from the so lower compartment when the liquid from the upper compartment flows therein" aconduit 12a having a tapered bore 18a is arranged in the forward end of the partition 6 andis liquid level of the upper compartment. 1

. The tapered or Wedge shape of the bore 13a is for 'the'purpose offorming a wedge shaped blockof ice at the beginning of the freezing operation, which will effectually close the passage'and prevent the escape of any of the liquid from the lower vesselas the freezing process progresses. l

5 Extending horizontally from the front wall of thecomp'artment 8 is a cylinder 14 whose outerend receives a threaded plug 15. A stuffing box 15a extends through thisfront "wallof the chamber 8 and projects into the cylinder 14. The stufiing box 15a is located and slidably mounted in the stuffing box is a plunger 17. As shown in Fig. 2 the inner end of the plunger 17 projects into the chamber 8 while its outer end extends into the cylinder 14 and is provided with a head or stop 18, the latter serving to limit the movement of the plunger in an inward direction.

In'order .to prevent a too rapid conduction of heat, the inner end of the plunger 17 projecting beyond the stuffing box or bushing 15a is preferably made o'f bakelite-or similar non-conductor, and that portion of the bushing within the chamber 8 is also'preferably made of a non-conductor. 7

Attached centrally to the head 18 and extending -.longitudinall y through the cylinder 14L is a rod'19 whose forward end passes through the plug 15. To normally urge the plungerand :rod 19 in an inward longitudi- "nal direction an expansible coil spring 20 encircles this rod 19 and has one end posiof a-zrotatable valve element.

:tioned *againsttheplug 15 and its opposite {end bears against a disk 21 attached to the .rod in .closeproximity to the'head 18.

.A casing 22 is arranged in .advance of the cylinder 1.4 and journalled therein is a vertically extending-shaft 23a which carries .a

horizontally disposed gear segment 24. Rackteeth 25 are :formed on the-outer end of therod 19 andengage the gear segment .24. The lower, end-0f. the shaft 23 carries .a=soeket"26 for the reception of a shank 27 The invention provides means whereby the shank 27 of the valve element may be rotated independently .of the gear segmentand rack teeth. To that end the shaft 23a is formed in longitudinally alined sections28 and 28a. Disks 30 are fixed .to the opposed ends of these TSQCtlOIlS and :are arranged in abutting relation.

Registeringarcuate slots 31 are provided'in xthese disks and extending through these slots areb'olts32 for normally clamping the disks together for unitary rotation. The lower .disk .30 is provided with a laterally extendii-nghandle 33. When it isdesiredto operate the socket 263 manually the nuts for thebolts -:32 are loosened and .the .shaft sections 2-8Hand 728a. rotated bymeans of the handle 34;.

.From the description thus fargiven it follows that upon expansion of Water contained in :the compartment -8, due to freezing, the plunger .17 will be shifted longitudinally in .an outward direction and rotate the shaft 23a .throughthe .instrumentality of the rack teeth .25 and gear segment .24. .By reason of the socket 26 engaging the shank 27 of the valve the latter is rotated to closed position. It xwill be .seen that the, plunger will be held against returning to normal position by reason of the iceformationin the compartment 8.

.An electrical heating element 34: is support- ..ed within the compartment Sand is adapted -to. melt the ice formation therein to permit the plunger and associated parts to return to normal position. The heating element 3% has one of its terminals electrically connected with a binding post 35 mounted upon the inner end of the cylinder 14:. A second binding post 36 is mounted in the cylinder 1 1- in longitudinal alinement with the binding .post'35 and connected with the former is an electrical conductor 37. A second electrical conductor 38 is connected with the other terminal of the heating element. Both binding posts pass through insulating bushings 'which'inturn pass through a sheet of insulatmg materraltO mounted upon the interior of the cylinder 14.

To automatically complete an electric circuit through the binding post when the plunger 17 is in actuated position a resilient contact 41 is attached to the lower end of one of the terminals 39 and normally springs;

against the other binding post. In practice the conductors 37 and 38 will be connected with a suitable electric circuit including a conventional switch so that when it is desired .to melt the ice to permit the device to return to normal position it is only necessary to permit electrical energy to pass through the heating element.

Normally the contact 41 is held out of engagement with the contact 36 by means of a l forwardly extending'pin 42 attached to the head or stop 18. As disclosed in Fig. 2 the normal position of the stop 18 is against one end of the packing gland 16 and when in that position it depresses the free end ofg;

the resilient contact. It will be. apparent that when the ice in the compartment 8 has been melted the expansible spring 20 will then become operative to move the rod 19 and )lun' er 17 in an inward lon itudinal direc-" tion to rotate the shaft 23 in a direction to open the valve.

What is claimed is:

1. In an anti-freezing apparatus, a rotatable shaft adapted to be connected with a valve, a chamber adapted to contain liquid, a spring pressed plunger having one end received in the chamber and its opposite end operatively connected with the shaft so that upon expansion of the liquid in the chamber due to formation of ice therein the shaft will be rotated in a direction to operate the valve.

2. In an anti-freezing apparatus, a rotatable shaft adapted to be connected with a valve, a chamber adapted to containliquid, a spring pressed plunger having one end received in the chamber and its opposite end operatively connected with the shaft so that upon expansion of the liquid in the chamber due to formation of ice therein the shaft will be rotated in a direction to operate the valve, and means for heating the chamber to melt the ice and permit the plunger to return to normal position.

3. In an anti-freezing apparatus, a chamtoo reservoir having upper and lower chambers, the upper chamber having divergent side walls to obviate bursting due to expansion of liquid in the receptacle, a conduit establishing communication between the two chambers and having a restricted passageway for forming an ice seal, and a longitudinally slidable plunger in the lower compartment and responsive to expansion of liquid occurring in the lower chamber, and a valve stem designed to operate a valve upon such movement of the plunger. 7

- VERNON MERRITT.

connecting the valve operating shaft and v plunger to move the former to valve opening and closing position incident to the move-, ment of the plunger, a heating element associated with said chamber, means for interrupting an electrical circuit which includes the heating element when the plunger is in normal position and automatically operable to complete such circuit after the plunger has been actuated.

5. In an anti-freezing apparatus, a rotatable valve shaft, a gear segment fixed thereto, a rod arranged at right angles to the shaft and having rack teeth engaging the segment, a spring pressed plunger attached to the rod, a liquid reservoir into which oneend of the plunger extends so that upon freezing of the liquid therein the plunger will be forced against the tension of the spring in such manner as to operate the valve.

6. In an anti-freezing apparatus, a rotatable valve shaft, a gear segment fixed thereto, a rod arranged at right angles to the shaft and having rack teeth engaging the segment, a spring pressed plunger attached to the rod, a liquid reservoir into which one end of the plunger extends so that upon freezing of the liquid therein the plunger will be forced against the tension of the spring in a direction to rotate the shaft to valve closing position, and means for melting the ice in the reservoir at will'to permit the plunger to return to normal position.

7 In an anti-freezing apparatus, a liquid reservoir a longitudinally movable plunger having one end received in the reservoir and movable in one longitudinal direction by expansion of liquid in said chamber, a valve stem operated by such movement of the plunger, an electrical heating element in the chamber, a pair of spaced insulated contacts supported above the plunger, one of which being electrically connected with the heating element, a resilient contact fixed to one of the spaced contacts and resiliently engaging the other when the plunger is in actuated position, and an element carried by the plunger and disposed in the path of movement of the resilient contact to hold the same in inoperative position when the plunger is in normal position. v

8. In an anti-freezing apparatus, a liquid 

